Dry hand skin: folk remedies, causes of dryness

On the one hand, washing your hands kills germs, and this is a great way to minimize the likelihood of contracting a virus, but on the other hand, everyone knows that constant hand washing dries out the skin, which becomes cracked and rough.

Kneading your hands is essential right now, but that doesn't mean you have to suffer. There are different treatments that will make your skin firm and soft.

Dermatologists and beauty and health experts have tried to explain the problem of dry hands and find the best ways to prevent it.

The material has an information and reference function! Before using any products or services, you must consult a specialist!

7.

Limit hand contact with cleaning products

The main culprit for dry hands is exposure to chemicals in cleaning products. They can be harmful to your skin and lead to irritation that is difficult to deal with.

Fortunately, soap comes in different varieties, and you can choose one that is gentler and more moisturizing, and it will be no less effective than regular soap. For example, Castile soap, which has been around since the Middle Ages, has been known to remove invisible pathogens for generations.

Try switching to more natural soap options and using rubber gloves to protect your hands.

Salt baths for hands

Doctors recommend using bath salts for those people who have problems with blood vessels and joints. In this case, sea salt is used (kitchen salt is not as effective). Salt baths for hands also provide a rejuvenating and smoothing effect and affect:

• exfoliation of dead epidermal cells;
• eliminating age spots and evening out skin tone;
• healing of microcracks, acceleration of regeneration;
• improving blood circulation.

For a salt bath, dilute 3 tbsp. l. salt in 1 liter of water. You can add aromatic oils, lemon juice, chamomile or calendula. The procedure is carried out over a course of 10 days. Take a hand bath for about 10 minutes daily. After which the hands are washed and smeared with cream.

Drink enough water

Dermatologists say drinking enough water is essential when caring for your skin. Water helps improve skin elasticity, flushes out toxins and combats dry skin.

Your skin is 64% water, so it is very important to replenish your body with healthy fluids, particularly water, on time. Experts recommend drinking 11 to 15 cups per day (1.5-2.5 liters) to maintain an optimal amount of water in the body. This amount depends on the weather, exercise, food consumed and other factors.

IMPORTANT:

If you're drinking less than normal, don't force yourself to drink a lot of water. Try to gradually increase the amount of water you consume.

You can download apps that will make it easier for you to track the amount of water you consume. There are a lot of them and they are free.

What can cause rough skin on your hands?

There are many reasons why hands take on an unsightly appearance. Let's consider the main ones: • Everyday reasons: constant exposure of hands to water, exposure to destructive chemicals, lead to skin aging ahead of time. Calluses appear on the palms and the pads become rough . Household reasons are the main ones - if you follow preventive measures, you can forget about the problems of rough hands for a long time. • Malnutrition, lack of vitamins in the body in combination, these facts cause a common phenomenon - vitamin deficiency. The skin of the hands cracks, the edges of the wounds become rough. The dermis takes on a whitish appearance . • Weather Constant walking without gloves in frosty weather leads to the weathering of surface sebum. Left without protection, hands quickly become ugly and burst. • Working in constant contact with paper products kills your hands within a few years. Without proper protection, you will end up with rough, yellowed fingers that are impossible to touch without experiencing pain.

Hand creams for dryness and cracks

If your hands are dry, red, or cracked, they are lacking moisture. But not all moisturizers are created equal. Moreover, some may make the problem worse.

New York City dermatologist Susan Bard recommends lubricating your hands with a thick, emollient moisturizer at night and wearing gloves while sleeping to give your skin time to heal.

The right moisturizers typically contain occlusive ingredients such as petrolatum, dimethicone, beeswax and lanolin, which keep the skin from losing moisture, she says. In addition, such moisturizers are odorless and rarely cause irritation.

Hand moisturizing creams come in different varieties:

• silicone (they have a hydrophilic base that is quickly absorbed into the skin, moisturizing it);
• restorative (such a cream reduces skin recovery time and accelerates the production of a protective layer);
• healing (this cream creates a special layer on skin cracks, accelerating the healing process);
• nutritious (enrich dry areas on the hands with nutritious fatty elements);
• hydrophobic (like a healing cream, this one creates a film on dry skin and prevents further roughening of the skin).

4.

Intensive therapy

Folk remedies

You can restore dry skin on your hands using available products, but not all folk recipes are truly effective.

Contrary to the popular stereotype, natural oil is not always the best nourishing agent, since some of them (for example, coke oil), on the contrary, can dry out the skin.

For many decades, one of the most effective home remedies for restoring the skin of your hands has been boiled potatoes, and classic mashed potatoes prepared with butter and warm milk are suitable for this purpose. Apply this mixture in a thick layer to your hands, wrap them in cling film, after 30 minutes, remove the mask and rinse your hands with warm water.

A mask made from egg yolk, honey and olive oil is no less effective. These products must be taken in equal proportions, mixed thoroughly and applied to the hands. Next, you can either put on disposable gloves or perform a light massage with this composition for 7-10 minutes.

Herbal compresses have an excellent healing and moisturizing effect. To do this, take 1 tbsp. dried chamomile and sage, pour 1 liter of boiling water, let it brew for 20-30 minutes. Soak gauze folded in several layers in the warm infusion, then wrap your hands with it. After 15 minutes, remove the compress, rinse the skin and apply a nourishing cream.

Homemade herbal compresses have an excellent effect.

Cosmetic products

The modern cosmetics industry offers many effective products and methods that will help you quickly get your hands into perfect condition.

1. Paraffin baths. Paraffin with the addition of vitamins and natural oils has a miraculous effect on the skin of the hands. In order to regularly make paraffin baths, it is not at all necessary to visit a salon. You just need to purchase special cosmetic wax (you can melt it in a regular saucepan in a steam bath) and gloves.
2. Gloves-mask. This product appeared on the market relatively recently, but has already gained popularity due to its effectiveness. Inside the gloves there is a multi-component composition that nourishes and softens the skin. Most often, the leading ingredients are emollients, which help maintain the lipid film on the surface of the skin. The mask gloves are put on for 20-30 minutes, after which your skin will noticeably transform.

Use hand sanitizer only when you really need it.

For a hand sanitizer to be effective, it must contain at least 60% alcohol - which is why such products can be harmful to your hands.

Experts warn that you need to be careful not to sacrifice efficiency for comfort. Of course, there are hand sanitizers with a moisturizing base, but they are not as effective in killing viruses.

That's why, if you can, switch to regular hand washing with soap and water. Well, if you do use hand sanitizer, then do it when you really need it.

2.

Cosmetic hand care – a necessity or a whim?

Elena KALASHNIKOVA, dermatocosmetologist

Our hands are always visible. Even a quick glance at the hands can tell a lot about the habits of their owner and his attitude towards himself.

Well-groomed, healthy, beautiful, they are an indicator of success, self-esteem, and dignity.

During the day, hands manage to do a hundred things and therefore especially need attention and care.

The skin of the hands is especially vulnerable because it contains very little water.

The number of sebaceous glands on its surface is small, and on the palms they are completely absent.

It is not surprising that the aging process in the skin of the hands is 10 times more intense than in the skin of the face.

Natural factors such as ultraviolet radiation, frosty or, conversely, dry and hot air, dirt, and aggressive chemicals also contribute to the loss of external attractiveness of the skin of the hands.

Thus, frequent and prolonged exposure to detergents leads to disruption of local immunity and the development of skin diseases, including allergic dermatitis and eczema.

Incredible, but true: most of us pay almost no attention to hand care - except to apply cream if the skin suddenly becomes dry and rough.

Meanwhile, such indifference to your own hands can lead to the appearance of wrinkles, small cracks and age spots.

That is why hand skin care should be of high quality and regular.

Dermatocosmetologists advise taking care of your hands no less carefully than your face.

So moisturizer is a must! And you need to use it not occasionally, but at least once a day - so as not to know what peeling, irritation, “pimples” and other troubles are.

If the skin of your hands is dry, the cream should be applied after each contact with water and always after washing your hands.

By the way, for the latter it is better to use products with a neutral pH and softening additives (lanolin, proteins, waxes, various oils, fatty acids, etc.).

Don’t think that hand creams are the simplest and most inexpensive cosmetic product. World-famous companies devote no less time to their creation than to the development of other care products.

The best hand cream. How to choose?

First of all, define your expectations from the product.

Protection

The protective cream envelops the skin of your hands like gloves and creates an imperceptible protective barrier against water, cold, and aggressive substances.

Hydration and nutrition

Moisturizing creams are quickly absorbed and are recommended for use in the warm season. Nourishing products are suitable for owners of very dry and irritated skin and for use in cold weather.

Treatment

Therapeutic creams act on the skin of the hands more intensively, promote its regeneration, and fight microcracks and roughness. Most often these are rather “heavy” products recommended for occasional use.

Anti-age

Anti-aging creams can be classified as a separate group.

After 40-45 years, the already thin and dry skin of the hands becomes even drier and thinner, and its water balance is disturbed.

That is why anti-age hand products contain an increased amount of nutritional and moisture-retaining components, primarily vegetable oils, as well as antioxidants and components that accelerate regeneration (vitamins A and E, coenzyme Q10, bioflavonoids). They not only moisturize and nourish, but also smooth out wrinkles and lighten age spots.

In late autumn and winter, to prevent abrasion of the skin of your hands, you can use products with AHA acids (creams, gommages, masks, etc.).

New product from England for the beauty of your hands – COSFO 0

The formula of the new cream in the COSFO line is designed specifically for daily care, restoration and protection of the skin of the hands.

The secret of its effectiveness is its balanced composition: the active components of oat extract, oat oil and oat flour instantly soften, eliminate the feeling of dryness and discomfort, soothe the skin and stimulate cellular regeneration. Sunflower and shea butters restore the natural balance of skin moisture, and vitamin E improves its elasticity and firmness and slows down the aging process.

Panthenol moisturizes and softens, providing resistance to adverse environmental factors.

It is no coincidence that oats were chosen as the main component of the cream.

It is famous for its powerful softening and soothing effect, provides active hydration, and restores the skin's protective barrier.

Oat extract has antioxidant properties, prevents skin aging under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, tightens it and activates regeneration processes.

The cream gives your hands a feeling of softness and velvety and forms a breathable film on the skin, thus providing additional protection from external influences (hard water, household chemicals, wind, heat, frost).

Thanks to its delicate texture, it is quickly absorbed without leaving sticky greasy marks and is comfortable to use.

COSFO 0

– an almost universal care product that is perfect for the whole family at any time of the year.

COSFO

- this is always excellent quality and a constant feeling of comfort and lightness for the whole day.

Hand care rules

Wash your hands properly

Use only warm water: too cold will cause peeling and discomfort on your hands, and too hot will degrease the skin, depriving it of its natural protection. After washing, wipe your hands dry - this will help avoid the appearance of hangnails.

Choose the right soap

Preferably with natural ingredients, liquid or gel form. Leave ordinary hard soap, and even more so laundry soap, for other purposes.

Use gentle exfoliation or scrubs

They will help to delicately remove dead skin particles that prevent the penetration of moisturizers and nutrients into the skin.

Wear rubber gloves

Protect your hands when washing dishes and when handling liquids. If it is impossible to use gloves for one reason or another, apply a special protective cream to your hands - it will prevent contact of harmful substances with the skin.

Apply nourishing cream regularly

Every day. Or better yet, after each contact with water or other liquids. Make it a rule to nourish your skin at any time of the year, and especially in winter.

Protect your skin in the cold

To avoid redness, apply protective cream to your hands an hour before going outside.

Give a hand massage

Massage perfectly copes with fatigue, which means it helps maintain youth and beauty.

Pamper your hands

Hand masks at least once a week are a must!

Carry small packages of moisturizers with you when you leave the house.

One way to keep your hands soft and smooth is to always carry a small amount of moisturizer with you. So, if you need to use hand sanitizer, you can always follow it with a restorative cream that neutralizes the effects of alcohol.

If you can't find the small package of moisturizer, you can simply pour it from the large package into a small container that you can always carry with you.

1.

Skin softening baths

The duration of the procedure will vary from 14 to 20 days. It is worth noting that every week the skin must be given a two-day break. The course can be repeated ad infinitum. The use of baths is used for both preventive and therapeutic purposes. But do not forget to lubricate your skin with a rich cream or hydrogel after this event.

• 
  Glycerin with ammonia for hands. To make a bath solution you will need 25 ml of glycerin, 35 ml of corn or olive oil, 45 ml of ammonia. All ingredients must be mixed together, then pour 1.5 liters of warm water into a basin and add the resulting solution to it. Place your hands in the bath for half an hour.

• Linden and lemon balm. To prepare, you need to pour 3 liters of boiling water into a basin, add 30 g of medicinal chamomile, 25 g of lemon balm and 45 g of linden inflorescences. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes, after which the solution cools to a pleasant temperature, and then a few drops of baby liquid soap are added to it. The procedure lasts for half an hour.
• Kefir bath. To prepare, you need to take one and a half liters of warm water, add 25 g of potato or corn starch and 12.5 ml of full-fat kefir to it. Kefir can be replaced with regular yogurt. The procedure lasts 15 minutes. After this time, the composition is washed off with plain water, and the skin is covered with a rich cream, you can use a baby cream.
• Lemon. To prepare the bath, you need to take two medium-sized potatoes, rinse them well, and chop them into small cubes. Boil the potatoes and add the juice of one lemon to the resulting broth. The resulting mixture must be cooled to a pleasant temperature, after which a procedure is carried out in which the hands are lowered into the composition for 20 minutes.
• Milk bath. To prepare, you need to mix 1 liter of whole milk with 2 liters of water, pour the resulting mixture into a saucepan and heat to about 40 degrees. Add 2 ml rosewood essential oil. The duration of the procedure is 25 minutes.

Fighting dry hands at home

Oils

Various oils can help you at home: vegetable, olive, flaxseed. All of them are able to moisturize the skin, soften it and restore elasticity.

Making a compress:

1. Heat the oils slightly.
2. Soak gauze bandages with the mixture.
3. Place the soaked gauze on your hands and cover with parchment paper.
4. Wear cotton gloves.

*If hand dryness is severe, the entire process may need to be repeated.

Potato

1. Boil the potatoes.
2. Make a puree using milk and butter.
3. Apply warm puree to skin.
4. Wait approximately 30 minutes.
5. Rinse everything off with water and apply a rich moisturizing hand cream.

Available creams

Many ladies try to soften the skin of their hands with the onset of winter. To do this, you can use special protective creams with natural ingredients. The most effective is regular baby cream. This product can be purchased at any hygiene store or pharmacy . You can also buy the following hand moisturizers at the pharmacy:

• Bepanten.
• Pantoderm.
• Radevit.

To use the pharmaceutical cream correctly, you must carefully read the accompanying instructions. It is also necessary to remember that some components included in the cream can cause an allergic reaction in humans, so testing is recommended before use.

A cream made from natural calendula moisturizes the skin well.

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that after using any cream, you must wear cotton gloves on your hands.

Using masks

Due to the fact that only natural ingredients are used to make masks to soften the skin, you can quickly achieve the desired result. It is recommended to use such masks every three days . However, they are best applied to the skin immediately after using the baths described above.

• Cocoa. For preparation you will need natural cocoa powder. 30 g of powder should be poured into 100 ml of hot water. Mix the cocoa in the water well until it is completely dissolved, then add 15 ml of glycerin and 25 g of gelatin. Wait until the mixture swells, then apply the mask to the skin and leave for half an hour.
• Aloe vera. For preparation you will need 2 stems of this plant. The leaves must be washed well and passed through a blender to obtain a paste. Add 25 ml of olive oil and 40 ml of liquid honey to the resulting mass. The resulting composition is applied to delicate skin. Keep the mask on the skin for 15 minutes.
• Sour cream. Pour 40 g of flax flakes into 80 ml of boiling water, let it brew for 15 minutes, then drain off all excess water. Add 50 g of fat sour cream and 10 g of gelatin to the mixture. Stir everything well and let it swell. The mask is applied to the wrist and hands. It is washed off the skin after half an hour.
• Cottage cheese. In order to make such a mask, you will need fish or badger oil in ampoules, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. Take one ampoule, add 45 g of cottage cheese with a fat content of more than 20%. Mash half a bunch of fresh parsley under a press, then add it to the cottage cheese. Cover the epidermis with the resulting mixture, and after 20 minutes, wash off the mixture.
• Honey. Melt 60 g of honey in a water bath or in the microwave and add 15 ml of glycerin to it. Add 10 g of gelatin and freshly squeezed carrot juice to this. When the mask is completely swollen, you need to cover your skin with it and leave for half an hour.
• Avocado. Two avocado fruits must be peeled, pitted and chopped into small cubes. Place the chopped avocados in a blender to obtain a smooth paste. Add 1 quail protein to the resulting mixture. If the gruel turns out to be too liquid, you can add oatmeal. The mask is applied to the skin for half an hour.
• Carrot. The vegetable must be peeled and minced or grated on a fine grater. Add 50 g of fat cottage cheese and 45 ml of cucumber juice to the carrots. Distribute the resulting mass evenly over the skin and leave for 45 minutes. After this time, the mask is washed off with plain water and the skin is rubbed with olive oil.
• Bread. You need to take three slices of fresh white bread, soak it in milk and let it swell. Then you need to knead it, add 40 g of homemade sour cream. Hands are immersed in the resulting mixture for 15 minutes, after which they are washed with water.